Far Eastern Group, founded by Hsu's father, has business in textiles, mobile phones, transportation, retailing and banking, among other businesses.

Far Eastern Group, founded by Hsu's father, has business in textiles, mobile phones, transportation, retailing and banking, among other businesses. Its polyester unit has seen rising demand in the face of higher prices for cotton in the past year. Shares in flagship Far Eastern Century have gained by more than a third in the past year. A Taiwan court last September cleared Hsu of all wrongdoing in connection with a department store takeover.

The list was compiled using shareholding and financial information from the individuals, stock exchanges and analysts. Net worths are based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on May 13. Private companies were valued based on the price-to-book ratios of similar companies that are publicly traded. This ranking, unlike Forbes' list of the world's billionaires, includes numerous family fortunes shared by individuals with their children and grandchildren, or with their siblings. Photo: Maurice Tsai/Bloomberg via Getty Images